Improvement in means for detecting and signaling fires



No. 113,120. I PATENTED MAR. 28, 1871. W. B. WATKINS. MEANS FORDETECTING AND SIGNALING FIRES.

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No 113,120. BATENTE'D MAR. 28, 1871.

w. B. WATKINS.

MEANS FOR DETECTING AND SIGNALING FIRES.

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UNITED STATES PATENTOFFIGE.

WILLIAM B. WATKINS. OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 13,120, dated March28, 1871.

' To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. WATKINS, ofJersey City, county of Hudson and State of New Jersey have inventedcertain Im-' provements in Means for Detecting Fires in Buildings,and'for signaling their location, of which the following is aspecification:

My invention under this patent is an improvement on my former PatentsNos. 111,412

and 111,413, in which heat-detecters are used to close an open electriccircuit, to set in motion' suitable mechanism to operate in ditferentbuildings, break circuits within the cir ouit of a'main line or lines,so astostrike the number'of the street and building-thereon, or anydesired signal at diflerent points in the main line by means of thefire.

My improvement under this patent consists in combining with one or moremain or firelocating telegraph-lines connecting with buildings, andembracing mechanism and breakcircuits operated thereby, for opening andclosing the fire-locating line, with a closed local circuit embracingheat detecters arranged for breaking the local circuit, so as to signalat engine-houses, or at other points, the location of the buildings whenfires occur, or when derangements of the local circuits occur therein.

The second part of my invention relates to constructing heat-detectersand combining them with a closed local circuit and -an open localcircuit in such a manner that when the closed circuit is broken by theeflfect of the heat an alarm will be sounded, an'd, at the same time,the open local circuit will be closed for the purpose of operating anindicator for indieating the exact room where the fire has occurred.

Figures 1 and 2, SheetNo. 1, represent different forms of heat-detectersarranged for opening a closed local circuit by an increase oftemperature. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of part of the device shown inFig. 2. Fig. 4, Sheet No. 2, represents a fire-locating telegraph-lineconnecting with several buildings and with a fire-engine house, showingthe connections in one of the buildings with a break-circuit andmechanism for operating the same, arranged to be set in motion by.

means of heat-detectors placed in the (litterent rooms for opening aclosed local circuit upon an increase of temperature.

Figure 4 also represents an indicator, combined with an open localcircuit arranged to be operated by heatdetectors upon an increase oftemperature.

Upon a base-board, A, Fig. 1 is.secured a compound strip, B, of two ormore different metals, or other conducting materials, which expand orcontract unequally by the effect of an lncrease or decrease oftemperature.'

The compound strip may be of any shape, either curved, straight, orspiral, and from the strip an arm, (3, may extend, as shown in thedrawings. 7

The strip is firmly secured-at one .end, a,.so that the other end willoscillate to and fro by the changes in the temperature of the surrounding air.

In the'instance shown, the compound strip consists of a strip of brass,b, and a strip of steel, a, secured together. The brass being upon theinside of the curve, and the steel upoir the outside, an increaseoftemperature will expand the brass more than the'steel, which willcause the steel to draw the free end or arm 1) toward the left, ortoward the side upon which the steel is fastened.

An indexarm, E, is also secured to the base-board A, andworks tightlyupon a screw or fulcrum, F, which is secured to a' metallic support, G.I

This arm is arranged so as to be set at any desired degree oftemperature by means of the thermometer scale H, toward which the end bof the arm E points.

To the other end of the index arm is secured a metallic pin or screw, I,which is arranged in such a manner that when the arm E is turned and setat any degree above the temperature of the room, it will force back thecompound strip, or/t he arm 0 extending there'- from, to-a point towhich it will be moved by the efl'ect of the heat, when it has reachedthe degree indicated by the index-arm, and until .the temperature israised to the degree indicated the compound strip will spring againstthe indexarm, and both will remain in contact with each other. Upon. thebase-board A is also secured an adjustable pin, 0, which can be fastenedat any point in the slot of the metallic frame at, or. othermetallic-support which may be arranged for the purpose. The use of theadjustable metallic pin will be hereafter more fully described.

. The spaces 1 2 Fig. 4, Sheet No. 2, reprethe number of the building,which, in the insent rooms in a building with heat-deteeters arrangedtherein, as described, for breaking the compound strip B. The circuit iscom pleted through the compound strip B, arm 0, pin 1, index-arm E,support Gr, wire it, and screw-post i, from which the line J runs, andconnects in a similar manner with the heatdetecters in rooms Nos. 2 and3, embracing in its circuit the coils of a magnet, L, from which theline runs to the other pole of the battery. The'index-arms upon theheat-detecters in all the rooms having been set at anydegree above theordinary temperature of the room at which it may be desired to give'analarm in case of fire, the compound strips and the index-arms will be incontact, the local circuit will be closed, and the electric currentpassing through the coils of the magnet L will cause it to operate thearmature M and lever Nattached thereto, so as to hold strain of wheels,0, wound up by means of the is; er N and fly P, or any detent-which maybe arranged for the purpose.

The object of the train of wheels, which maybe carried by the force of aspring or 'by a weight, is to operate a break-circuit, Q, for

the purpose of sounding or signaling the numher of the building and thenumber of the street, or any desired signal, through the tirelOc-atingline B, or through. a series of lirealzirm circuits connectedtherewith,so as to locate the fire immediately upon its commencement. The line Itruns in the direction of the arrows from one pole of the battery A andenters buildings Nos. 7,3, 1, 2, and 4, and 0011 nects withbreak-circuits in each building, as

, shown in building No. 3, and returns to the battery, through the coilsof the magnet B for operating the electromagnetic gong-bell G in theengine-house No. '18, for sounding the' ,B at the same intervals; or arevolving wheel,

having non-conductors inserted in it or notches cut in it at properintervals to open and close the line, so as to sound the desired signal,may beyearried by the train; or, as in the instance shown, an arm, S,may be fastened to one of the shafts of the train, which, when the trainis released, will cause the arm to revolve around a stationary disk orbreak-circuit, Q, arranged with breaks upon it atintervals correspondingto the number of the street and stance shown, is building No. 3 in 12thstreet. The number of the building is represented by the breaks 1 2 3 atshort intervals, and the number of the street is represented by thebreak 4, metallic interval 5, and breaks 6 and K, at longer intervals. lThe metallic interval 8 separates the building from the street-number,and the long metallic interval 9 separates the beginning and ending ofthe series; When the end 70 of the arm S passes over the breaks it willppen and close the circuit of the fire-locating line It at the desiredintervals. I As the operation of'br'eak-circuits for the purpose hasbeen more fully described in Letters Patent heretofore granted to thesubscriber, further description hereis deemed unnecessary, except tostate that when the train is released the break-circuit arranged for thepurpose will be operated, or the arm Swill revolve around thebreak-plate or disk Q until I the 'train is arrested or has run down,and during each revolution of the arm the signal will be sounded at thedesired points through the-fire-locating line B and through a system oflines or fire-alarm circuits, T, which may be operated by the line R, asis'more fullydescribed in the patents abovereferred to.

Now, upon the commencement of a fire in either of the rooms ,1 3, whenthe temperature has reached a point above that at which the index-armhas been set the compound strip B,or the arm-O extending therefrom,will' be drawn away from the indexarm E and against the adjustablemetallic pin 0, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 4, room No. 1. Theclosed local circuit J will now be broken,

the armature M and the train will be released,

and the break-circuit will be operated thereby, as described. A localalarm may also be sounded by means of the hammer g, which may beoperated by the pins S arranged for that purpose upon one of ,the wheelsJ? of the train, so that the bell r may be struck when the end of thehammer is tripped by the pins as the wheel revolves.

When the location ot'the building in which the fire has occurred hasbeen signaled at the engine-houses or other desired points through theline B or other main lines connecting therewith by the 'ctl'ect of thefire itself in breaking the closed local circuit, as described,

and the firemen have reached the building, they may at once be'directedto the exact room in which the fire has occurred bymeans of anindicator or annunciator, W, which connects with the different rooms.The wires 1, m, and n, l'or'this purpose run from the adjustablemetallic pin or screw 0 upon the heat- "also 4 a.

which run through the ind-icator,"andflp'art of the hood may also beused .to form the open circuit. This open circuit will-be automathvcally closedin each room whenever the compound strip B or arm 0 isbron'ght-in-contact with the metallic ins by means of the heat, whichwill occur. whenever the closed'local circuit J is broken by thesamemeans.

p The indicator orannunciator may be of any suitable construction. Thewire leadingfrouithe -heat-detecter in each room may embrace 'in itscircuit the coils o'f an electro-magnet up: on the indicatorforoperating an armature,

' vibrating lever, and numberattaehed theretoy. which corresponds withthe number of the room, so as to movethe numberup or down when theelectric circuit is closed or broken through the coils of the magnet,thus forming a-self-adjusting indicator, or the circuit. fromeach roommay be completed through a key upon the indicator numbered to correspondwith'the number of the room, so that when the keys are tested, and oneis found which will operate the electromagnetic sounder II. orhell Vconnected therewith, it will be known that the fire has commenced in theroom which corresponds with the number of the key.

Now, itwill be evident that the same signal or alarm will be soundedthrough the line B and system of lines connecting therewith when theclosed local circuit J is broken from any other cause than that of fire.If an in-' 'cendiary or an occupant maliciously-cuts the wires of thelocal circuit in the building, thinking thereby to prevent the-alarmwhich an in cendiary fire would cause, the same alarm would be instantlysounded, or if the local circnit should be broken by accident, or if thebattery of the local line should be neglected and should rundown, ineither case the armature M and the train would be released, and the samealarm would be given.

. It will thus be seen that when a closed 10- cal fire-detecting-circuitis used in buildings,- derangements, when they occur in the local line,will give instant notice at the desired points, so that the derangementsmay be repaired, and the constant working condition of the local circuitinsured. When the heat-detecter or fire-alarm is applied to steamers orvessels, another advantage of its use, when arranged in the mannerdescribed, so-that the local circuit will be kept constantly closed bythepressingot' the com pound strip or arm 0. extending therefrom againstthe index-arm, is to prevent false alarms, which might otherwise occur,by means of the series of vibrationsof thecompound strip which would becaused by the sudden jars to vessels'which are of frequent occurrenceduring storms at sea.

It will be evident that other devices can be used instead of that shownin Fig. 1, Sheet 1-, .to carry out mymanner of working a fire-loeatingline, B, or. a system of fire-alarm circuits, as described, by means ofbreaking a. closed local circuit in buildings bythe effect of heat.:=I,, therefore,"do-'not confine myself to -'tlie'd evice described.

' Fig. 2, Sheet N o. 1, represents another form A ofidevice'for'thepurpose. D The index arm, E is fastened at one end to. a sliding bar, X,which consists of platesof metaL-tiand u, secured to'a nor'i-conductingsupport, 71 and separated from each other by .jthe non-conducting space1;, shown more clearv ly in Fig.3. The index-arm E and plate t. are 7 inmetallic connection with each other. The

.eml.e?of= the arm- 0 is in contact with the slid.-

different points upon the thermometer-scale H, by which means the-barmay "also be adjusted, so that the end 6 of the arm 0 may be broughtuponv the non-conducting space a at any des'ird'degree of temperature.

Now, when the compound strip and the index-arm are connected with thepoles of a bat-' tery, the circuit of the line J will be closed when theend. 6 of the compound strip is in contact with the plate t,- but whenthe heat has acted upon the compound strip so as to separate the end '0'from the plate It, ofso as to bring the "end c upon the non-conductingspace '12, the circuit of the line J will be broken, by which means theline Rmay'be operated as described.

At the same instant that. the end c leaves the plate tit comes incontact with the plate u, and closes the open circuit for operating theindicator. W, the line l. for this purpose being connected with themetallic strip a, which is in metallic connection with the plate 26.- Itwill thus be seen that the closed local circuit J can be broken by theagency of heat, so as to operate thefire-locating line R, as de scribed,when anydevice embraced in .the lo-v -cal line J is so arranged that anytwo metallic points in contact, throilgh which theclosed local circuitis completed, will be drawn. away, the one from the other,-'or beautomatically separated at any increased degree of heat.

The frame of the slot 01 Fig. 1, may be divided into degrees, as shown,so that the metallic pin 0 may be set at any desired degree for closingthe local open circuit at any temperature.

A closed circuit,=-by itself,-having'been used.

to spring an alarm within the ci fore do not claim the same.

Having described my invention, 1 claim- 1. In a fire detecting andlocating system, the combination of one or more main or fire-' rcuit, Itherelocating lines, It, embracing break-circuits in buildings, withclosed local'circuitsJ, and.

heat-detectors, arranged therein, for breaking saidclosed circuits uponan increase of temperature, and suitable mechanism, brought intooperation thereby, for operating the break circuits of the mainline orlines B, so as to strike the number of the building and that of thestreet, or any desired signal, at different 3-. The combination of thecompound strips B, index-arm E, thermometenscale H, adjustable pin I,and circuits J J, when said parts are so arranged that the circuit willremain closed below any predetermined deg-roe of temperature, but'w'illbe broken, and thereby cause an alarm, when the temperature increases,'as described. r

4. The combination and arrangement of the compound strip 13, index-armE,'thermomet erscale H, and adjustable metallic pin a, or itsequivalent, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sig'ued my name, 7

WILLIAM B. WATKINS. Witnesses:

Emma. L. H. FINcH, E. M, SMITH.

